20th Century Writers - Ecuadorian Literature

Modesto Ponce Maldonado

Modesto Ponce Maldonado (Quito, 1938) is an Ecuadorian novelist, short story writer, and businessman. He began writing fiction in his later years. At the age of 60, he published his first collection of short stories, “También las arcillas” (1997), which was followed by a novel, “El palacio del diablo” [The Devil’s Palace] (2005), which won the Joaquín Gallegos Lara Prize for best novel of the year. The novel’s title was taken from the name of a brothel that formerly stood in colonial Quito’s La Ronda neighborhood. Using the pen name Sergio Lozada, his second novel, “La casa del desván,” was shortlisted for the prestigious Premio Iberoamericano Planeta-Casa de América de Narrativa award. The novel, released by Editorial Planeta in 2008, is a first-person account of a schizophrenic man’s thoughts while he is institutionalized for his condition. In 2017, his novel “Adela” received honorable mention at the La Linares Short Novel Award. Ponce has also contributed to various literary magazines, including El Búho, Eskeletra, Kipus and Letras del Ecuador.

Alberto Ordoñez Ortíz

Alberto Ordoñez Ortíz (Cuenca, March 16, 1942 – Ibidem, August 29, 2022) was an Ecuadorian poet, writer, and lawyer. During the last years of his life he worked as an opinion columnist for the daily El Mercurio of Cuenca. From 1962 – 2004 he published at least 10 poetry books. As a poet, he won various awards, including First Prize in the 1963 National Poetry Contest sponsored by the State University of Cuenca, Second Prize in the 1978 Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest for Perfil del hombre y su desvelo, and the First Prizes in the 1992 Poetry Contests promoted by the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute of Ecuador. In 2003, the Municipality of Cuenca awarded him the “Fray Vicente Solano” Award, an award given to the best poet of the year in Cuenca, and in that same year, the National Congress of Ecuador awarded him the “Vicente Rocafuerte” Prize, in recognition of his literary work and contribution to Ecuadorian poetry.

Eduardo Muñoz Valdebenito

Eduardo Muñoz Valdebenito was an Ecuadorian poet who in 1977 won 3rd Prize in the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest of the newspaper El Universo for his poem “La intimidad.” His prize-winning poem was published in “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX” (Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, 1979).

Bernard Fougères

Bernard Fougères, born Bernard Victor Theophile Isidore Fougères Julliot (France, 1934 – Guayaquil, May 5, 2018) was a French journalist, poet, and TV host who resided in Ecuador since May 1, 1965. His poem “Guayaquil de mil hojas” [Guayaquil of a thousand pages] won the 2nd Prize of the 1977 Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest. His winning poem was published in the anthology “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX: Años 1976, 1977, 1978” (Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Núcleo del Guayas, 1976). He worked as a TV personality for more than 50 years in shows such as El Show de Bernard and Bernard en la noche.

Gonzalo Portugal Proaño

Gonzalo Portugal Proaño (19??-????) was an Ecuadorian poet. In the 1970’s his poems appeared in a few poetry anthologies published by the House of Ecuadorian Culture. In 1976 he won 3rd Prize in the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest for his poem “Escorzo del perfecto desterrado.” His prize-winning poem was published in “Poesía ecuatoriana del siglo XX” (Casa de la Cultura, Núcleo del Guayas, 1979).

Remigio Romero y Cordero

Remigio Romero y Cordero (Cuenca, June 13, 1895 – Quito, 1967) was an Ecuadorian poet, lawyer, professor, parliamentarian and journalist. He was the son of the poets Remigio Romero León and Aurelia Cordero Dávila. After graduating from high school at Benigno Malo National School, he enrolled in the Faculty of Jurisprudence at the University of Cuenca, where he went on to earn the degrees of Doctor of Jurisprudence and Lawyer of Ecuador’s Courts of Justice. He grew up and received his initial education under the protection of the political and social reforms brought about by the Liberal Revolution. He earned significant acclaim due to his brilliant poetry, which gained him the honor of being crowned poet at the Quito Poetry Festival in 1933.

Carlos Villasís Endara

Carlos Alfonso Villasís Endara (Bahía de Caráquez, November 17, 1930 – Quito, January 27, 2023) was an Ecuadorian writer, poet, playwright, and renowned art critic. He was the founder of the literary group “Galaxia,” member of the “Caminos” group, vice president of the Cotopaxi chapter of the House of Ecuadorian Culture, member of the Legal-Literary Society, and an honorary member of the Association of Plastic Artists of Ecuador. He was known by his family and friends as “Carlucho.”

Teodoro Vanegas Andrade

Teodoro Vanegas Andrade (Cuenca, December 21, 1926 – 2002) was an Ecuadorian novelist, journalist, editor, and poet who was a member of the Elan Group. He authored 4 poetry books, “Estación del abismo,” “Ubicación del hombre,” “Señales de la Erranza” and “El libro de los avatares” which was published posthumously. Some of his poems have been translated into Russian, Italian, French and English. He was a columnist for El Expreso newspaper, and was the editor of the literary magazines Antorcha and Paz. In 1971, his novel “La noche estevada” received first mention at the novel contest held by the journal El Universo. He was a member of the House of Ecuadorian Culture.

Francisca Ortega Salazar

Francisca Ortega Salazar (1933 – Unknown) was an Ecuadorian poet and children’s literature author. In 1984, she won the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño National Poetry Contest for her poem “Salinas.” Her poetry books include “Poemas para Orfeo” (1978) and “Puente” (1957). She also wrote “Lucecita” (1979), a children’s book.

Othón Muñoz Alvear

Othón Muñoz Alvear (Guayaquil, Jan 14, 1945 – August 9,2014) was an Ecuadorian poet, columnist, writer, anthologist, theater actor, teacher, and politician. He’s considered the greatest of the “Hurricane Generation,” a group of poets in the 1970s who all contributed to a book of the same name. He authored poetry books and won several prizes and national literary contests. His poem, “Breves noticias de sus vidas breves,” won first prize at the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño National Poetry Contest held by the newspaper El Universo in 1978. He presided over the Guayaquil Municipal Cultural Center and the Association of Educational Journalists. He is perhaps best known for his poems “Mamacity” and “Y te vuelvo a fundar en la esquina de mi barrio,” which pay homage to his native city of Guayaquil.

Claudio Mena Villamar

Claudio Mena Villamar (Quito, May 28, 1928) is a poet, essayist, journalist, lawyer, and professor. In 1976, he won first prize in the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño poetry contest of the newspaper El Universo for “Las líneas de tus manos” [The Lines of Your Hands]. On February 8, 2007, as he was inducted into the Ecuadorian Academy of Language, he delivered a discourse on the concept of time entitled “Por los túneles del tiempo” [Through the Tunnels of Time], which was released as a book by Editorial El Conejo in Quito, Ecuador, in 2009, and awarded by the Central University of Ecuador. After being appointed pro-secretary of the Academy following the retirement of Filoteo Samaniego in 2006, he was appointed Secretary in 2008 and served until 2013. He is also a member of the Literary Law Society, the House of Ecuadorian Culture’s Academic Section of Literature, the National Academy of History and a founding member of the Ecuadorian Society of Writers “Grupo America.” He was an editorial writer for the newspapers El Tiempo and Hoy, and a columnist for several other publications.

Nicanor de J. Alejandro Reyes

Nicanor de Jesus Alejandro Reyes (Santa Elena, December 24, 1928) is an Ecuadorian poet. In 1967, he took First Prize in the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest (for “Divagaciones”). In 2005, he published a collection of 33 poems entitled, “Anclas de la ternura,” among which “La guayaquileña bonita” [The Beautiful Guayaquilean Woman] is perhaps his best known poem. He has been a part of the House of Ecuadorian Culture of Guayas.

Waldo Calle Calle

Waldo Calle Calle (Cojitambo, August 25, 1951) is an Ecuadorian poet, essayist, and diabetologist. He has lived in Cuenca for many years where he practices medicine and has worked as a professor at the University of Cuenca. In 1977 he was awarded First Prize in the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño National Poetry Contest for his poem Juantodonada. His poetry books include: “Los días del antihombre” [The Days of the Anti-Man] (1978) and “Antologia de los perros” [Anthology of the Dogs] (2003). His poems and stories have also been included in several locally published anthologies in Cuenca.

Manuel Zabala Ruiz

Manuel Zabala Ruiz (Riobamba, 1928) is an Ecuadorian poet and university professor. He was a member of the “Caminos” group. He won several Ecuadorian national prizes, including First Prize of the Ismael Pérez Pazmiño Poetry Contest for Los cuadernos del salmista. His published poetry books include: La risa encadenada (1964), Teoría de lo simple (1970), Rumbo al otoño (1986), Obra poética completa (1998) and Poesía junta (2006).

Julio Tobar Donoso

Julio Tobar Donoso (Quito, January 25, 1894 – Ibidem, March 10, 1981) was an Ecuadorian diplomat, lawyer, writer, and social and political scientist. In 1942, during the presidential term of Carlos Arroyo del Río (1940-1944), Julio Tobar was a signatory of the Protocol of Rio de Janeiro, a treaty settling possession of the disputed Oriente region on the border of Peru and Ecuador. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador from 1938-1942. Along with Father Aurelio Espinosa Pólit, Tobar founded the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. He was a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Language.